Rack



May 21, 1929. A. w. CLEVELAND ET AL 1,714,258

RACK

eats-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1928 y 21, 1929- A. w. CLEVELAND ET AL 1,714,258

RACK

led Fe 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE."

ALMOND w. CLEVELAND, or snnmanooxn, QUEBEC, CANADA; AND OLIVER c'. Mensa,

0F STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, SHERBROOKE, CANADA.

IGNGRS TOWILLIAM ALBERT STT IB B S, OF

RACK;

Application filed February provide means for efficiently controlling the descent of such a rack and for safeguarding the rack from falling in case of failure of the hoisting means. The rack may be mounted according to the invention 'upon a suitable carriage which travels up and down on a track member, the carriage and rack being hoisted by a cable which is operated by a hand Windlass, a jamming mechanism being mounted on the rack to move into jammingengagement with the trackmember in case of failure of the hoisting gear. The descent of the carriage and rack may be further controlled by a braking mechanism associated with the windlass and operable by motion of a lever arm which also carries a pawl cooperating with a ratchet.

associated with the Windlass. These parts are so arranged that motion of thelever arm to release the ratchetalso. applies the brake to the Windlass. Conversely, motion of the lever arm to releasethe braking mechanism also engages the pawl with the ratchct. Further advantageous features of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in i the art from thedescriptionwhich follows and from the drawings, of which,- I

Figure 1 shows in perspective the apparatus as a whole in its normal position assumed when properly mounted on a wall.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus, a portion being broken away to show the relation of some of the parts.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a plan view of the Windlass and the mechanism associated therewith.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 represents a normally upright track member which may besecured to a wall as by suitable brackets 11, 12 whichareso arranged as to hold the track member 10 suitably spaced from the wall. On the track member up and down thereon. In order to facilitate the motion of the carriage 13 onthe is'mounted a carriage 13 which is movable 1,1928. Serial No. 251,094.

track 10, a pair of rollers may be carried by the carriage to bearvagainst the track, an upper roller 14 being. mounted to bear against the rear face of the track and a lowor roller 15 bearing against the front face thereof; Supported by the carriage and extending forwardlytherefrom are a plural- 1ty of rack arms 16, each of which may be pivotally mounted as y P 17 to 3 porting member 18 which in turn may be pivotally mounted as at 19 with the earriage 13. The pins 17 permit horizontal swinging of the arms 16 but do not permit the individual arms to drop'to a vertical position. The rack asa whole, however, .being pivoted on'a horizontal pin 19 may be swung down ,at will to hangvertically and to avoid collecting dust on the arms 16 when the rack is not ,in use. In order to maintain the raclchorizontally when in use, a lockingpin 20 may be provided extending through a pair of cars 21 formed onthe carriage, which ears also ,supportthe pivot pin 19. Y The locking pin 20 maybe manipulated as by a thumb piece 22 andmaybe held inplace by a cotter pin 23 or other suitable means. In order to raise and lower the carriage an di'ack, a suitable cable 24 may be As shown the sheave 25 is mounted is carried by the lower bracket 12. A suitable eye 29 or other equivalent'means may be provided on the Windlass to secure an.

end ofvthe cable 24. In order to hold the carriage and rack at various heights, a ratchet 30 may be provided, this ratchet preferably being formed on the rim of one of the side members of the Windlass 26 as shown. Cooperating with this ratchet is a pawl 31 which may be carried bya suitable lever arm 32 pivotally mounted at an end thereof as at at any.convenient point on the track member 10 or the bracket 12. At the'opposite end of'the arm 32 a handle 34 may be provided for manipulation of the lever arm 32. arranged to engage the upper portion of the periphery of the ratchet. Then the rack is filled with clothes or other articles to be dried, it may have considerable weight As shown, the pawl '31 is and it is sometimes awkward to lower such a heavy rack by backing down with the windlass 26. In order to facilitate and control the lowering of the rack and carriage,

a brake, drum may be mounted on the windlass to rotate therewith, a suitable brake band 36 being passed around beneath the applies the brake band 36 to the drum 35 so that by pressing upwardly on the handle 3 the brake may be applied as strongly as desired to check the descent of the carriage and rack. In like manner, when the lever arm 32 is lowered to engage the pawl 31 with the ratchet, the brake is simultaneously released. If desired, the brake band 36 may be mounted on the arm 32 in such a way as to be adjustable in length so that the distance interval between the point of clearance of the pawl from the ratchet teeth and the point of application of the brake band to the drum may be adjusted as desired.

In order to prevent the carriage and rack from falling to the lower end of the track member in case the cable 24: breaks or becomes unfastened or in case the hoisting apparatus fails in any other way, an automatic jamming device may be f provided comprising a jamming member 37 which as shownis pivotally and eccentrically mounted as at 38 to a pair of cars 39 formed on the carriage l3 andextcnding forwardly therefrom. The jamming member 37 is provided with an arm 40 at the outer end of which the cable 24 may be attached. If desired, a fair-leader ll. may be formed'on the carriage 13 for the cable 24, the arrangement being such that when the cable takes the weight of the carriage and rack, .it will hold. the jamming member 37 in an inoperative position. A weal spring 42 may be mounted in such a way as to tend to swing the jamming member 37 to operative position, the latter position being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. By reason of its eccentric mounting, the jamming member 37 when in inoperative position is clear of the track member 1.0, but when allowed to move to operative position, a portion thereof swings against the forward face of the track and cooperates with the roller 14 to clamp the The brake band 36 is carriage to the track and to prevent further descent thereof in case of failure of any part oft-he hoisting apparatus. It will be obvious from Figure 2 that the arrangement of the jamming member 37 is such that the heavier the carriage and rack, the more tightly will the jamming member clamp the carriage to the track member when in operative position.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein w'thout departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

lVe claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, con,- prising an upright member, a pair ofbraclrets adjacent the ends thereof adapted to support said member in spaced parallel relation to a wall, a carriage movable up and down on said member, a drying rack attached to said carriage and movable therewith, means for hoisting said carriage comprising a sheave mounted at the upper end of said member, a Windlass mounted the lower end of said member, a flexible element attached to said carriage and extending through said sheave to said Windlass, a ratchet and brake drum secured to'and rotatable with said Windlass, and a lever having a pawl associated with said ratchet, said Windlass, ratchet and pawl being operable to elevate said carriage and to hold said carriage at various elevations, a brake band attached to said pawl. and movable into braking engagement with a substantial pro portion of the periphery of said brake drum when said pawl is moved clear of said ratchet, and means associated with said flexible element for preventing descent of said carriage upon failure of said hoisting means.

2. Apparatus ot the class described, com prising a Windlass, a ratchet and, a braking drum coaxially secured thereto, a. lever arm, and a pawl and a brake band carried by said armand arranged to engage the ratchet and drum respectively at diametrically opposite points, the arrangement being such that motion of said arm to disengage the pawl. f om the ratchet applies the brake band to the drum.

' In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

ALMOND W. CLEVELAND. OLIVER C. MORSE. 

